Vanilla Creme Brulee Recipe

My Vanilla Creme Brulee Recipe is a silky-smooth custard with a caramelized sugar shell.  This impressive dessert is sure to wow your guests!!  

Vanilla Creme Brûlée is made with five simple ingredients and a fool proof recipe.  I absolutely love using vanilla bean seeds for a nice contrasting color in the custard mixture.  But sometimes the bean pods are not available or are too expensive.  

A good French brulee has a layer of caramelized topping that is golden brown from a crème brulee torch.  This make ahead dessert is perfect for holiday gatherings that your guests will be asking for this recipe.  

My easy crème brûlée recipe is a great creamy custard with a sugar crust that my daughter asked me to make often.  

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What is crème brûlée in English?

According to Wikipedia, crème brûlée is a rich custard that is served with a caramelized top that is made of burnt sugar.  It can be made as a “hot version” or a “cold version”.  This recipe is considered a cold version.

What is Vanilla Crème Brulee?

Vanilla crème brûlée is a creamy baked custard dessert that is best served cold with a hardened caramelized sugar layer that creates a warmed top.

This vanilla creme brulee recipe is considered a classic brulee. Make it extra special with the vanilla bean seeds added in!!

Crème Brulee Ingredients

There are only 5 ingredients for this vanilla creme brûlée recipe:  Heavy Cream (Whipping), Milk, Vanilla Flavor or Vanilla Bean, Granulated Sugar and Egg Yolks. This recipe can be made with either vanilla extract or vanilla bean pods.

How to Make this Creme Brulee Recipe

Gather your 5 ingredients to make the brulee.  Preheat oven to 325°F.  

Place ramekins in a baking pan because you will be pouring hot water around custard cups. Separate the egg whites from the yolks.  Set aside the leftover egg whites because you will not be using them in this recipe.  

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream (whipping), milk and the vanilla extract or split whole vanilla bean.  Stirring constantly to prevent scorching, heat the mixture until tiny bubbles start to appear around the top edge of the milk.  

While the milk is heating up, place the egg yolks in a mixing bowl.  Use a KitchenAid stand mixer or a hand mixer using the whip attachment.  

Whip the egg yolks on medium/low for about 1 minute to break up the yolks.  

Turn the mixer on low.  Slowly whisk the granulated sugar into the beaten egg yolks.  

Whip the sugar and egg yolk mixture together to help dissolve the sugar as the milk is heating up.  Scrape the sides of the bowl.

Tempering the Eggs

When the cream mixture is heated up and bubbles have formed, it is time to temper the eggs and milk together.  About ½ cup at a time, slowly pour the milk mixture into the egg mixture as you continue beating all together.  

Keep adding the ½ cups of hot milk to the mixer until you have added at least half the milk.  Scrape the sides of the bowl.  Add the rest of the milk to the bowl and mix to combine.  

A Tip for Perfectly Smooth Custard

A tip for perfectly smooth custard is to strain the custard base.  In a pourable container or measuring cup, use a fine strainer and pour the mixture to remove any curdled bites that might have formed.  

If you used a vanilla bean split it with a pairing knife, scrape the seeds from the inside of the bean and stir them into the custard egg mixture.  Discard the vanilla bean pod.

The Best Ramekins for Crème Brûlée

The best dish to bake creme brûlée in is single serving size white 4 ounce ramekins.  They are the perfect shallow dish for hot water baking in the oven and then serving to your guests.  

The thing that makes crème brûlée special is the heavy cream custard that is poured into the individual serving containers, placed in a baking pan surrounded by hot water and then put into a preheated oven, cool to room temperature, garnished with a burnt sugar topping, and then served in the same baking dish.  

So, you want to make sure the 4 ounce ramekins are pretty for your guests.  They also come with different prints on the outside of the ramekins.

I have also used small glass pyrex containers in a pinch.  

Once the custard is baked, you do not want to remove it from the baking dish!!   Pour the cream mixture into the ramekins.  

In a large roasting pan or baking dish, arrange the filled ramekins in a single layer.  Carefully pour warm water around the outside of the ramekins or the custard cups (about 2/3^rds up the outside of the cups).  

This is creating a water bath around the ramekins.  Making sure not to splash the water into the custard cups, place the pan into the preheated oven on a level oven rack.

Baking the Crème Brulee Recipe

In a large baking dish, bake the crème brûlée until the custard is just set.  Baking time will vary depending on the size of your ramekin baking dishes.  

Bake for approximately 50 to 55 minutes.  Check the custard at about 45 minutes.  

You want the crème brulee recipe to have a small area of wiggle in the center with most of the custard set.  The vanilla custard should not be soupy.  Remove the creme brûlée from the oven.

When Is Custard Done Baking?

The custard will continue to bake after it is removed from the oven because of the boiling water around the creme brulee.  Once the heavy cream custard is set, making sure not to splash the water, remove the pan from the oven.  

Keep the ramekins in the water bath until the water has cooled down.  When the baking dishes have cooled enough, remove them from the water and dry the outside of the ramekins.  

Cover each cold ramekin with a piece of plastic wrap and place on a large baking sheet.   Refrigerate the chilled custard at least 4 hours and up to 2 days before it is served.

Make sure to cool completely for several hours before serving.

Kitchen Torch or Oven Broiler?

When ready to serve the vanilla creme brulee recipe a caramelized sugar glazed needs to be added to the top of the custard.  Sprinkle a thin coating of granulated sugar on top of the chilled brulee.  

Use a creme brulee kitchen torch to heat up and brown/caramelize the coating of sugar on top of the custard.  Make sure to use the creme brûlée blow torch with care.  

Repeat this process 1 more time to create a nice melted sugar top to your vanilla crème brulee.  

If you do not have a propane blow torch, then use an oven broiler to create the caramelized topping using the same steps as described above.  

Add an additional layer of garnish by adding some fresh fruit such as raspberries or sliced strawberries to the top of the caramelized custard.  

Tips for Making the Best Crème Brûlée

• Use a shallow wider ramekins for a faster bake time and a larger surface area to create a caramelized topping.  
• If using a larger 6 ounce ramekin, then extend the bake time to make sure the brulee is properly set.  
• To create a perfectly creamy crème brulee, make sure to properly temper the milk into the egg yolks.  Do not add too much cream into the egg yolks and sugar mixture and curdle the eggs creating chunks.  You will create a scrambled eggs effect if not tempered properly.
• Some say to use superfine sugar to create the sugar topping. I usually don’t have superfine sugar, so we just use granulated sugar.

Suggestions and Substitutions for Crème Brûlée

Want to jazz up your crème brulee?  Add ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice along with the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract to the custard liquid right before pouring into the ramekins to make a pumpkin spice crème brulee.  

Try these different crème brulee flavor recipes!

I do not suggest substituting a light cream version for the heavy cream in this recipe because you will not get the same results.

No need to buy superfine sugar because regular granulated sugar works just fine.

Vanilla Crème Brulee Recipe – FAQ

Vanilla Crème Brulee Recipe

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Yield: 10 - 4 oz ramekins

Easy Creme Brulee

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My Vanilla Crème Brulee Recipe is a silky-smooth custard with a caramelized sugar shell. This impressive dessert is sure to wow your guests!! Vanilla Creme Brûlée is made with five simple ingredients and a fool proof recipe.

Prep/Cook Time 15 minutes

Bake Time 55 minutes

Chill Time 5 hours

Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

• Heavy Whipping Cream 24 fl. ounces
• Milk 8 fl. ounces
• Vanilla Extract 1/2 teaspoon
• Egg Yolks (10 large yolks) 6 ounces
• Sugar, Granulated 7 ounces

Instructions

1. Gather your ingredients to make the brulee.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
3. Separate the egg whites from the yolks, set aside the egg whites because you will not be using them in this recipe.
4. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy whipping cream, milk and the vanilla extract or split vanilla bean. Stirring constantly to prevent the milk from scorching.
5. Heat the mixture until small bubbles start to appear around the top edge of the milk.
6. In the meantime, place the egg yolks in a mixing bowl. Use a KitchenAid stand mixer or a hand mixer with a whip attachment. Whip the egg yolks on low to medium for about 1 minute to break up the yolks.
7. Then, turn the mixer on low. Slowly whip the granulated sugar into the beaten egg yolks.
8. Continue whipping the sugar and egg yolk mixture together to help dissolve the sugar as the milk is heating up. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
   
9. Tempering the Eggs - when the cream mixture is heated and bubbles have formed, it is time to temper the eggs and milk together.
10. About a ½ cup at a time, slowly pour the milk mixture into the egg mixture as you continue beating all together. Continue adding the ½ cups of hot milk to the mixer until you have added at least half the milk.
11. Scrapef the bowl. Add the all of the milk to the bowl and mix to combine.
12. Strain the custard liquid. In a pourable container or measuring cup, use a fine strainer and pour the custard mixture to remove any curdled bites that might have formed.
13. If you used 1/2 of a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds from the inside of the bean and stir them into the custard egg mixture. Discard the vanilla bean pod.
14. Fill 10 - 4 ounce ramekins with the custard.
15. In a large roasting pan or baking dish, cardfully arrange the filled ramekins in a single layer.
16. Pour warm water around the outside of the ramekins about 2/3rds up the outside of the cups. This is creating a water bath around the ramekins. Making sure not to splash the water into the custard cups, place the pan into the preheated oven on a level oven rack.
17. Bake the crème brûlée until the custard is just set. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Check the custard at about 45 minutes. You want the crème brulee recipe to have a small area of wiggle in the center with most of the custard set. The vanilla custard recipe should not be soupy.
18. Remove the creme brûlée from the oven.
19. The custard recipe will continue to bake after it is removed from the oven because of the boiling water around the creme brulee. When the ramekins have cooled enough, remove them from the water and dry the outside of the ramekins.
20. Cover each cooled ramekin with a piece of plastic wrap and place on a large baking sheet.
21. Refrigerate the custard at least 4 hours and up to 2 days before it is served.
22. When ready to serve the vanilla creme brûlée, a caramelized sugar glazed needs to be added to the top of the custard. Sprinkle a thin layer of granulated sugar on top of the chilled brulee.
23. Use a creme brulee torch to heat up and caramelize the coating of sugar on top of the custard. Make sure to use the creme brûlée blow torch with care.
24. Repeat this process 1 more time to create a nice browned sugar top to your vanilla crème brulee. If you do not have a propane torch, then use an oven broiler to create the caramelized topping using the same steps as described above.
25. If desired, add an additional layer of garnish by placing some fresh fruit such as raspberries or sliced strawberries to the top of the caramelized custard.
    

Notes

TIPS

• Use shallow, wide ramekins for a faster bake time
• Make sure to "temper" the egg yolks properly to prevent curdling the eggs.
• No superfine sugar is needed to create the caramelized top, just use a thin layer of granulated sugar.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links. Click on the highlighted text in a post to explore a product. If you purchase through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I ONLY EVER ENDORSE PRODUCTS THAT I TRULY LOVE. Thank you for your support!

• 
  Foraineam Set of 8 Pieces Porcelain Shallow Ramekins, 5 Ounce Creme Brulee Ramekin Dishes Round Baking Ramekins Set
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  Sondiko Culinary Butane Torch with Gift Box Packaging, Refillable Blow Torch Lighter, Fit All Butane Tanks with Safety Lock and Adjustable Flame for Desserts, Creme Brulee(Butane Gas Not Included)
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  Pyrex Storage 1 Cup Round Dish, Clear with Blue Lid, Pack of 6 Containers

Nutrition Information

Yield

10

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 337Total Fat 27gSaturated Fat 17gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 93mgSodium 35mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 0gSugar 23gProtein 3g

Note: For exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information is simply a guideline.

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If you enjoy this recipe, you may enjoy the following: Baked Rice Pudding and No-Bake Cheesecake